Open to middle school students from Chicago middle schools. The chair of the Scholar Activity & Community Outreach Subcommittee of Communications determined the topic for the 2018 Essay Competition: How has drug use affected your community and/or school? How can communities and individuals address the opioid/drug problem?

ICCAP's Second Annual High School Awards: 2018 Essay CompetitionDeadline: November 30, 2018 Open to high school students from Chicago high schools. The chair of the Scholar Activity & Community Outreach Subcommittee of Communications determined the topic for the 2018 Essay Competition: Discuss the changes that have occurred in the United States due to diversity and inclusion. What are the pros and cons of diversity and inclusion in your community and or school system?

This award is open to medical students, general psychiatry residents, pediatric residents, child and adolescent psychiatry fellows, and former fellows and residents who have graduated within the last two years.

To become a member of ICCCAP, one must join both AACAP and ICCAP. ICCAP/AACAP focuses on providing child and adolescent psychiatrists the resources they need in order to promote mentally healthy children, adolescents, and families. By joining, you will become part of a member community comprised of over 9,000 child and adolescent psychiatrists from the United States and abroad.

ICCAP advocates for children, adolescent, families, and members. Our focus is on children's mental health and the implementation of parity as well as preventing psychologists efforts to get prescribing privileges.

9/20/2016 UPDATE: The state of Illinois offers people with autism spectrum disorders and mental illnesses including bipolar and schizophrenia and their caretakers to have a state issued identification card. This card will help first responders to better understand the individual's needs and promote appropriate and safe handling of potential confrontation and crisis situations. This is a card that does not get individuals off for disobeying the law. It facilitates a different approach to the immediate situation. These cards can be applied through the the State of Illinois. The idea was initiated by a parent of an autistic young man who was learning how to drive. State Rep.Stephanie Kifowit, D-Oswego is the primary bill sponsor.

UPDATE: Bill HB549-IL (Managed Care Act-Step Therapy) passed on August 12, 2016. This bill addressed the problems with prior authorization that concerns multiple step drug trials before using doctor recommended medication, retrying old drugs because the patient has changed insurers and changing drugs that are now on the revised formulary.